The 62nd FIFA Congress held on Friday in Budapest provided its full support to the professionalisation of refereeing.

FIFA has made a pledge to further improve the level of elite refereeing, specifically through the professionalisation of the preparation for the world’s top referees on the road to the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.

"It is crucial not only to have referees with a professional approach, but we must also have the right environment and create a professional structure. We have to protect and support the referees, and we have to prepare them," said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter.

The goal is not only to have the best match officials at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, but to develop a professional preparation plan similar to the one that football players follow in their clubs and national teams to be able to perform at the top level when it matters most.

A global structure has been established with regional instructors to conduct a continuous follow-up of the daily training of referees at national and international level.

At the same time, the development of referees from all over the world will continue to be in focus. The Refereeing Assistance Programme (RAP), which allows courses to be held almost on a daily basis all over the world, ensures that the match officials in all member associations have adequate preparation. This is valid for both male and female referees, at all levels.